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Ghana
Quick Overview:
Ghana may not have West Africa's most dramatic scenery, nor the region's best collection of wild animals. But the country once known as the Gold Coast has other assets that are as good as gold: lovely beaches, lively nightlife, good roads, a variety of landscapes and some of the friendliest people on the continent. In short, Ghana is a safe, beguiling introduction to West Africa. While much of the continent seems to be falling apart, economically and politically, Ghana has managed not merely to retain a strong sense of national identity, but actually to boost its economy and infrastructure. Once a center of the slave trade, Ghana was also the first modern African country to win its independence—giving it a headstart in nation building. The people of Ghana are well educated and proud of their country—it has good schools, a thriving press and the highest economic growth rate on the continent. The country has been inhabited since at least AD 400. Islam had already made an impact on the area (many Ghanaians still practice the religion) before Portuguese traders reached the coast in 1470. But it was the British who eventually made it their colony (naming different bits of it different names at different times: Today's Ghana includes pieces of the former Colony of the Gold Coast and Ashanti, the Northern Territories Protectorate and British Togoland). Over the years, other parts of Ghana's coast were controlled by the Danes, Dutch and Germans, who left forts, small towns and European architecture as their legacy. In this century, Ghana has been fortunate to have had the services of two exceptional leaders. One led the way to independence and the other arrested the all-too-common regional tendency toward corruption. In 1957, under the charismatic leadership of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana became the first colonized African country to achieve independence. Nkrumah's example inspired many nationalist movements across the continent. But the great man suffered an equally great fall when he became increasingly repressive and was overthrown by his countrymen. Following Nkrumah's departure, a series of coups led to the rise and fall of several corrupt and authoritarian regimes. One coup leader was different, however. Flight Lt. Jerry Rawlings led one uprising and then amazed observers by carrying out his promises within six months and stepping down. Corruption continued unabated, however, and Rawlings mounted another coup in 1981. This time he held power until a new constitution was adopted in 1992. Voters went to the polls that same year and overwhelmingly elected him president. The now graying former fighter pilot was easily reelected in 1996, despite feisty opposition. However, Rawlings pledged that he would step down in 2000, as called for in the constitution. Geographically, the countryside is diverse: rolling coastal lands, palm-treed beaches, thick forests (in the center of the country), grasslands and savannas (in the north) and lush hills and waterfalls (in the Volta region to the east). The nation has gold, diamond, coal, sulfur, manganese and bauxite reserves, but its main export remains cocoa.
Geography:
The modern state of Ghana is named after the ancient Ghana empire that flourished until the 13th century in western Sudan. The Akan peoples, who inhabited most of the forest and coastland, founded their first states in the 13th century. Mande traders, looking for gold, reached the northern borders of what is now Ghana by the 14th century. Hausa merchants, seeking kola nuts, arrived by the 16th century. In the 17th century, the founders of the Ga and Ewe states arrived from Nigeria. The largest and most powerful ethnic group are the Ashanti, who belong to the Twi-speaking branch of the Akan peoples. The Ashanti originated in the central forest region and formed a strongly centralised empire which dominated much of Ghana during the 18th and 19th centuries. Colonialisation
European exploration began in the 15th century. The Portuguese established a settlement in Elmina (meaning "the mine"), which became one of the main centres for the slave trade. By the 17th century, the Portuguese had lost their monopoly because of the arrival of traders from The Netherlands, England, Denmark, Sweden and Prussia. By the mid-18 th century, the Gold Coast was dominated by numerous forts, controlled by Dutch, British and Danish merchants. Britain made the Gold Coast a crown colony in 1874. It established protectorates over the Ashanti and the northern territories in 1901. Nationalist movements were created early in the colonial period. By 1946, concessions to African demands for representation had led to an African majority in Ghana's Legislative Council. But the executive branch - and effective rule - was still in the hands of the British governor. In 1948, Kwame Nkrumah established the Convention People's Party, whose campaign slogan was "self-government now". In 1952, Nkrumah became the first African prime minister in the Commonwealth. He went on to win the elections in 1954 and 1956. On August 3, 1956, the Legislative Assembly passed a unanimous motion calling for complete independence. The country's economy deteriorated rapidly after independence: a lot of money was spent on prestige projects and on advancing the cause of pan-Africanism and the non-aligned movement. Nkrumah was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 1966. A new president was elected in 1969, but he was overthrown in a coup three years later. The ensuing military regime was ousted in yet another coup in 1978. Two more military coups followed in 1979 and 1981. Both were led by Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings. He pledged to eliminate rampant corruption and restore the nation's economy. Initially regarded as a revolutionary socialist, Rawlings managed to stop Ghana's economic slide, and in 1992, he was elected president in democratic elections. Ghana enjoys some of the highest economic growth rates in Africa. The government has pledged to make Ghana a middle-income nation by the year 2020.
Related Links:
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News Ghanaweb News Archive |
Offical Sites Offical Government Site |
Country Guides Internetguide on Ghana |
Education Offical Education Page |